Without a doubt, international migrants are an important driver of development in their countries of origin, hence the need for public policies which make it possible to maximise the positive impact of migration.

The remittances from migrants represent over 10% of the GDP of many developing countries and amply exceed the volume of flows of Official Development Aid (World Bank). Remittances can reduce poverty in the countries of origin and also generate greater investments with the support of more appropriate public policies.

The social protection of migrant workers is another area in which specific responses are required from governments.Numerous south-south migrants do not have social protection in the countries of origin and destination, and at the same time they encounter considerable difficulties in maintaining and transferring the rights they have acquired. 

In addition, the integration of the migratory dimension into national training and employment policies can contribute to the development of the countries of origin, favouring links between national and international labour markets.

Finally, strengthening the social links between the diaspora and their countries of origin and their identification with those countries can be a cornerstone for citizen participation, thereby enriching diversity.

These aspects comprise the core of the study entitled “Challenges and priorities of the public administrations of Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Morocco and Senegal with regard to migration and development”, produced within the framework of the MeDAO project, an initiative led by the FIIAPP and funded by the EU and the AECID.

On 12 June 2013, we had the pleasure of presenting this study at Casa Árabe, sharing our proposals with experts in development, representatives from the administrations of the four countries and migrants’ associations.

Marzia Cardinali. Coordinator of the MeDAO project.

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